Call 1114 — the gambling counselling line, free and anonymous, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 21:00. Self-exclusion is the part to plan for: Greece has no working national register yet. The Hellenic Gaming Commission states that the Unified Register of Excluded Players is still under development, so you must file with each operator separately — or, for all casinos or all operators at once, email the HGC at info@hgc.gov.gr with ID and a solemn declaration authenticated through gov.gr.
| National helpline | 1114 — gambling counselling line, Mon–Fri 9:00–21:00, free, anonymous |
|---|---|
| National self-exclusion register | None operational; the Unified Register of Excluded Players is under development (HGC) |
| Online self-exclusion | Per operator — 24-hour time-out, temporary (minimum one month), or indefinite (minimum one year) |
| Casino self-exclusion | In person for one casino; for all casinos, request electronically to the HGC |
| Not covered | Anonymous products, such as lottery tickets bought at OPAP shops |
| Free services | EOPAE, the national addiction organisation, states it provides public and free services |
| Regulator | Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC / ΕΕΕΠ) — 18 licensed online operators |
Verified helplines
| Service | Phone / chat | Hours | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Γραμμή 1114 — KETHEA ALFA gambling helplineRun by KETHEA (national addiction treatment network), program KETHEA ALFA. The line had funding-related suspensions in 2023 and was relaunched (announcement confirmed via KETHEA and health-news sources). | 1114Email counselling: 1114a@kethea-alfa.gr | Mon–Fri 9:00–21:00; free, anonymousGreek | kethea.gr |
Helplines and online chat
The gambling counselling line is 1114, free and anonymous, open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 21:00. It is run by KETHEA ALFA, the programme for people with problem gambling or alcohol use, and email counselling is available at 1114a@kethea-alfa.gr. EOPAE, the national organisation for addiction prevention and treatment, also publishes 1114 as its "Γραμμή Συμβουλευτικής για τυχερά παιχνίδια" — its gambling counselling line — and describes its services as "δημόσιες και δωρεάν", public and free. EOPAE's own office line is 210 889 8200 (Αβέρωφ 21, 10433 Αθήνα, 08:00–17:00).
The HGC's support-services page points players to two organisations: EOPAE and Gamblers Anonymous Greece, which holds weekly meetings at 3 Themistokleous Street, 3rd floor, Athens 10677, and 19 Odysseos Street, 2nd floor, Thessaloniki 54629.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 112 (the emergency number in Greece and across the EU) or find a crisis line at findahelpline.com. Other national numbers are in the helplines directory.
Self-exclusion
Greece does not have a working national self-exclusion register as of September 2026. The Hellenic Gaming Commission states that "the Unified Register of Excluded Players is under development and preparation by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) prior to becoming operational", and that until it launches "there is no automatic universal exclusion across all operators".
That has a direct consequence: a self-exclusion filed on one betting site does not touch the other seventeen licensed operators. Until the register exists, either file separately with every operator you have an account with, or use the HGC route below.
Exclusion across all operators, through the HGC
Players who want a wider exclusion can submit a request to the HGC at info@hgc.gov.gr with a clear copy of both sides of an identity card or passport, and a solemn declaration authenticated through gov.gr that specifies which categories of gambling you want excluded from and consents to your data being passed on. The same electronic route is how you exclude yourself from all casinos at once.
What is available today, by product
| Product | Options | Minimum before it can be lifted |
|---|---|---|
| Online gambling (player account) | 24-hour time-out; temporary; indefinite | Temporary: at least one month, then lifts automatically. Indefinite: at least one year, and not lifted automatically |
| VLTs / OPAP PLAY (individual player card) | Day stop; temporary; indefinite | Day stop ends at midnight. Indefinite: at least one year before the card can be reactivated |
| Land-based casinos | One casino (in person) or all casinos (electronically, via the HGC) | Six months |
Casino exclusion works through "restriction of the player's physical access to the casino" plus inclusion on the casino's internal exclusion list. One product has no mechanism at all: anonymous gambling such as buying a lottery ticket at an OPAP shop, because nothing identifies the buyer. For how other countries handle the same problem, see self-exclusion by country.
Blocking gambling payments and sites
Because there is no unified register yet, blocking software carries more weight in Greece than it does in countries with a single national scheme — it is the one measure that applies to every site at once, licensed or not. Options are compared in blocking apps for iOS and Android.
The HGC publishes two tools worth using alongside it: a Website Legality Checklist, where you paste a URL and get back whether the site is licensed, and a Blacklist of unlicensed providers. Its WhiteList of licensed providers is the positive version of the same check. A site that is not on the WhiteList will not honour any exclusion you file.
Greece has no national bank-level gambling block scheme, so if you want card payments to gambling merchants stopped, ask your own bank what controls it offers. Where money has already gone, what to do about gambling debt sets out the order to deal with it in.
Free treatment and counselling
EOPAE is the national body responsible for the prevention and treatment of addictions, including addictive behaviours, and states that it provides public and free services. Calling 1114 is the entry point: the line is answered by counsellors and can refer you into a treatment programme rather than only offering information.
Gamblers Anonymous Greece runs weekly peer meetings in Athens and Thessaloniki at the addresses the HGC publishes. The HGC also hosts two self-assessment tools of its own — Gamalyze, a behavioural assessment, and a problem-gambling index questionnaire. Zona Bet's self-test covers similar ground in English if you want something to read before making the call.
Support for family and friends
The 1114 line takes calls from relatives as well as from people who gamble, and email counselling is often an easier first contact when the person you are worried about is in the next room.
The most useful thing to know in Greece is the register gap. Someone who has self-excluded from one site is not excluded anywhere else, so a relapse on a different licensed operator is not a failure of willpower — it is the system working as currently built. Filing the HGC request by email, with the gov.gr declaration, is the step that closes more of the market at once. How to help someone with a gambling addiction and signs of gambling addiction cover the rest.
Gambling law and the regulator
The Hellenic Gaming Commission regulates both land-based and online gambling in Greece. It states that "the conduct of games of chance is permitted only when specific conditions stipulated by the applicable legislative and regulatory framework are met and the games are provided by entities legally licensed by the HGC". Eighteen operators currently hold online licences — Type 1 for betting, Type 2 for RNG casino, live casino and poker. Land-based licences cover OPAP, eight casino operators, Hellenic Lotteries and Hippodromies.
On age, the HGC states that "access to gambling activities by minors is strictly prohibited" and requires licensees to run age-verification mechanisms; its public player pages do not publish a single age figure, and different products in Greece have different thresholds, so check the terms of the specific operator before assuming.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a national gambling self-exclusion register in Greece?
Not yet. The Hellenic Gaming Commission states that the Unified Register of Excluded Players is still under development and that there is no automatic universal exclusion across all operators. Until it launches, you file with each operator separately, or email the HGC for a wider exclusion.
How do I self-exclude from all gambling operators in Greece?
Send a request to the HGC at info@hgc.gov.gr with clear copies of both sides of your ID card or passport and a solemn declaration authenticated through gov.gr, stating which gambling categories you want to be excluded from and consenting to your data being shared with operators.
How long does self-exclusion last in Greece?
For online accounts, a temporary exclusion runs a minimum of one month and lifts automatically, while an indefinite one requires at least a year before reactivation and is not lifted automatically. A 24-hour time-out is also available. Casino exclusions require a minimum of six months.
Is gambling treatment free in Greece?
EOPAE, the national organisation for addiction prevention and treatment, states that its services are public and free. Call 1114, the gambling counselling line, on weekdays from 9:00 to 21:00 to be referred into a programme. Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Athens and Thessaloniki are peer-run.